Internet performance has been steadily increasing over the past decade as new, advanced technologies such as high-speed fibre optic connections have allowed an unprecedented amount of data to be delivered around the globe at high speed. Of these technologies, content delivery networks (CDN) have arguably made amongst the biggest differences in internet performance. By storing multiple copies of a website amongst many different servers around the world, CDNs allow end users to be routed to the server closest to them when requesting data from a website, resulting in reduced latency and higher download rates. However, as more and more people gain access to the internet through cheap internet enabled devices such as smart phones, the pressure on internet performance has been increasing.

One of the world’s leading CDN provider and internet performance enhancement technologies is Akamai. They recently issued a warning about a new wave of cheap, internet devices – wearables. These devices, such as Google Glass and Apple Watch, are revolutionising the way we interact with technology in our every day lives. However, Akamai warns that their always-connected nature will increase the amount of data flowing online and further add to the online congestion and have a negative impact on internet performance.

Internet Performance Improvements

Recognising this issue for internet performance and the strain their CDN could come under in the next five years, Akamai are taking steps to prepare their network for the future of wearables by implementing new network protocols, mesh networking and working with chip manufacturers to create more efficient hardware.

John Dillon, VP of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Akamai, said of their preparations, “we can’t continue throwing more resources at the problem, which is what we’ve done till today. What’s required is a different way of thinking."

Responding to these developments, Redg Snodgrass, CEO of Wearable World, an organisation that is looking to further the advancement of wearables and the internet of things, was cautiously upbeat. Believing that a “data apocalypse